West Bengal police continue search for Justice CS Karnan; Calcutta judge remains untraceable for fourth day

Chennai: A team of West Bengal police personnel continued their search for Justice CS Karnan for the fourth day, but the Calcutta High Court judge still remained untraceable.

The search is continuing with the assistance of local police to comply with a Supreme Court order which sentenced the judge to six months imprisonment for contempt. The visiting team, with the aid of local police, have already questioned several persons, including the kin of Justice Karnan to trace his whereabouts.

Police sources said: “We are providing all assistance needed by our West Bengal counterparts to execute the court order sentencing the judge.”

However, the efforts of police to locate the judge have not fructified so far.

A seven-judge bench of the apex court had on 9 May held Karnan guilty of contempt of court and sentenced him to six months imprisonment.

Justice Karnan, who has been on the warpath with the Supreme Court for last several months, is the first sitting judge of a high court to be sentenced. He is due to retire next month.

Yesterday, the apex court had said a “conscious decision” was taken by seven of its judges to sentence justice Karnan to six months imprisonment by holding him guilty of contempt.

“The seven judges assembled to take a conscious decision,” a bench headed by Chief Justice JS Khehar had said.